


Sir That’s My Emotional Support Horse

by InterstellarToaster, Maesonry



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Cute, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Humor, Light Angst, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-14 05:42:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16907187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InterstellarToaster/pseuds/InterstellarToaster, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maesonry/pseuds/Maesonry
Summary: Link’s first horse is named Bastyrd.Link’s second horse is named Walnuut.There seems to be a trend here.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the game half a month ago and it’s so good. I don’t want it to end, and also I love catching horses and naming them weird things. So here’s this

Link’s first horse is named Bastryd.

Well. Okay, maybe not exactly his first horse. He can’t remember his first horse, especially not now, when his memories are scattered across Hyrule. He knows there must have been horses before this one- vague recollections of... something- but that’s it. 

Link’s first horse is named Bastryd, and he loves it. Them? He isn’t quite sure. But, the story goes a little something like this:

Link is awake. He has been awake for the past two days, and yet, it doesn’t feel like enough. He is awake and he is _unhappy_ , because Hyrule is gone and he is alone. 

Not even his first friend, the Old Man, was there for long. All that’s left of him is the warm doublet on Link’s back, and a shack in the woods. So Link is awake, and he is alone, and as far as he can tell, neither of these things will be going away soon.

Not great. 

But Link is armed with a paraglider, and courage, and the traveler’s sword he clutches close. It’ll be enough. When he jumps from the plateau, he isn’t afraid. He’s actually a little hungry. 

After a lot of running, and climbing, and general unexpected exercise, Link stumbles his way into a new discovery: a building. A building shaped like a horse. 

Investigating the horse-shaped discovery leads to people, and of course, horses. Before that point, Link hadn’t even been certain there was anyone else left. Just the wind of Hyrule, and a handful of monsters that perched on wobbly towers. So seeing the people makes that lonely little ache in his chest unfurl, maybe a little.

And seeing the horses reminds Link of horses- reminds him that he had one, maybe, that Zelda definitely had one. Link doesn’t need memories to know that he also loves horses. So he decides right then and there that he’s going to get one. And since Link is tenacious and is driven by unending love, _he is going to get one._

The owner of the stable points in the direction of the flatlands, which translates to ‘horses are close’. Link is so excited- for the first time in how long- that he just runs over the hill to try and catch one. 

Except, he isn’t that fast, and horses kick hard. Bad plan. Lack of plan. Link returns soon and grumpily brews a stealthy mushroom meal. 

Attempt number two it is. And after scarfing down the mushrooms, Link prays that he can make it, and slowly scuttles over to the horses. One is blue. Two are a mottled sort of black. And one is brown, with what looks like a diaper.

Link instantly knows that that is the one. So he spends the next three minutes stalking it, barely hidden by the swaying grass, and holding his breath. 

The horse is not happy when Link leaps up, but, well, Link is prepared this time. He doesn’t fall off, and then there’s the kicking and the horse might be yelling or maybe it’s Link but it doesn’t last long.

Link opens his eyes, slightly loosening his grip on the horse’s mane. Gently, he pats the side of its head, and with the utmost care, steers it towards the stable.

“What it’s name?” the owner eventually asked, as Link sat atop his horse, smiling happily. A blink.

Names are important. They carry weight and meaning and expectations, and really, it’s a lot to give to someone who never asked. So he thinks about it.

And he thinks about it.

“Bastryd.”

He specifically spells it out. The y is important, adds accent.

And that’s how Link’s journey really begins, he thinks.


	2. Chapter 2

Link’s second horse is named Walnuut.

There’s nothing wrong with Bastryd! But the story is something, and it’s enough to try and start off with, at least. It goes something like this:

Link explores Hyrule. It’s vast and it’s huge, and as much as Link rides, it never seems to end. It doesn’t seem like it could end. No matter how many towers he lights up, there’s always something more on the horizon, some shrine or some secret. Sometimes a Korok. 

Link isn’t really... happy, per say. He’s existing. He’s riding his horse every day, and he’s finally started sleeping consistently, and eating enough, so he’s not exactly Not Happy. But he’s not happy. He can’t really say he’s happy, when the Great Calamity is still happening. He shouldn’t say he’s happy. That feels like he’s cheating, or betraying someone.

So Link is careful not to get too happy. But he loves his horse. Bastryd is gentle and calm, and loves going down forest paths as much as Link does. Bastryd doesn’t mind when Link is too tired to steer back to a village, or has to jump off to fight some Moblins. Once, they found a secret apple orchard together, high in the mountains, and they spent the day there just relaxing. Link still has some of the apples in his bag, and gives them to Bastryd when they’re both taking a break. 

But Link feels bad. He doesn’t like pushing his horse so much, how Bastryd never gets a long break. It doesn’t seem fair- and if there’s one thing Link is oddly focused on, it’s making sure everyone is treated fair.

So Link finds another field. He sees the horses down below, and watches. And waits. There are more than he can track, but he sees one, all black except for its muzzle and hooves. 

After watching it kick a bird, Link decides that’s the one. 

The stealth and the sneaking is easier this time, with a Sheikah suit. The tall grass makes Link nearly invisible, and he easily sneaks up behind it, before hopping on, and holding tight. 

The horse goes from angry to resigned really quickly. Link can’t shake the feeling of guilt at that, and soothes the horse the entire ride back to the stable. He gives it as many apples as he can spare without making it sick. 

“What’s it’s name?” 

Link remembers, very vaguely, that he had a horse once. He knows it more clearly now that time has gone on, but not clear enough. He knows his horse was.. was it brown? Maybe. 

This one isn’t brown. But Link smiles and says, “Walnuut,” and he spells it out too. The accent is important.

And so there was two: Bastryd and Walnuut. And soon, too, there would be three.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link is incapable of evil but not of mischief

Link’s third horse- which isn’t really his horse- is named Malk. He says it isn’t his horse, because technically, it’s Zelda’s horse. Her horse’s descendent, which still makes it her horse in Link’s mind.

The story is a much funnier one than Bastyrd’s or Walnuut’s. And involves much more bruises and exasperation. It goes a little something like this:

Link is happy. He’s confident enough to say that he’s happy, and the guilt from before is mostly gone. Half of the Divine Beasts are free, and Link’s finally started eating a varied diet. He has friends, too! He thinks. He’s fairly certain. There’s Sidon, and Purah, and Beedle (or was it Beetle?) and that painter guy he keeps seeing at the stables everywhere.

So Link is happy. And his horses are happy. Bastyrd is still gentle, still loves going though the forests and quietly nickering into Link’s hand. Walnuut still seems to hone in on birds when galloping down paths. 

Link is just winding down for the day when he decides to sleep at a nearby stable. Walnuut huffs but allows it, and as Link trods by, he is stopped by an old man.

“The Princess’s horse!” is what the conversation amounts to. Lots of gesturing and shouting, something with, “pure white steed!” or... something. Link is pretty tired. But he makes a note to at least investigate the horse, tomorrow.

He wakes up early, plops himself onto Walnuut, and together, they both start down the path. The flowers braided into Walnuut’s hair jostle in the wind. Link’ll have to get fresh ones soon.

The horse fountain is a surprise, but not an unpleasant one. Link blinks, remembering what the painter had said, before carefully walking up to it. He can... he can remember something, pressing at the back of his mind, and-

And then the memory floods back. Link blinks it away, waiting for the vertigo to pass, and he’s left with two new certainties.

One: Zelda definitely had a horse.

Two: Link definitely had a horse.

Even though he doesn’t know their names, it still feels... nice. To have confirmation. 

Which brings Link back to the next task: find Zelda’s horse. The descendent of her horse. Zelda clearly loved that ghostly looking horse, so Link decides right then and there that he’s going to get her a horse. When she comes out of fighting Ganon, Link will make sure she has a horse to come back to.

So Link takes a seat, watches the field, and waits. He doesn’t have to wait for long. Soon, he spots that pure white horse, jittering along. 

Link jumps into action. He shimmies across the field, in his stealth suit, and then finally, jumps up. The horse is understandably not happy. Link almost slips off once, twice, before finally the horse gives in. Link breathes a sigh of relief, before carefully leading it back to the stable. Walnuut trails behind them, ever faithful. 

And as before, he sets about registering the horse. He thinks about names. He should give it a suitable name, one that Zelda might like. Link raises his hand, then... pauses.

He doesn’t really... like Zelda. He likes her just fine, mostly, but a petulant part of him only remembers the memories he’s just gotten back, where she generally doesn’t seem to like him. So Link pauses, and then smiles a little. Mischievous. 

“Malk.”

And so the horse is named Malk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I was cool by using the Braided with Flowers manestyle on my house but it looks like wet spaghetti noodles


End file.
